Sharing

Bloggers at Cindy Vaskova – A world of my own and Feidor S LaView were kind enough to mention my blogs with “awards.” Cindy nominated me with the Pink Liebster Award, and LaView nominated me with the ABC Award for my Kandy Fangs blog web-serial.

Thanks Cindy and LaView. Very kind. Both writers participate in Friday Flash with good stories.  Cindy also blogs about books and her projects. LaView runs an imaginative web-serial, Seagrave’s Journey. Go read!

I’ll break the rules and simply answer Cindy’s questions. As for ABC, I’ll try to work some letters in with red text.

I created my own award graphic, which is free to use, of course. If you’d like to know more about these awards, you may follow the nomination links at the top.  Bloggers are a weird bunch, eh?

Cindy’s questions:

1. Who’s your hero?

Albert Einstein.  When scientists were confounded by finding that the speed of light was the same in every direction (they wanted to find what the speed of light was relative to using Earth’s movement), Einstein elegantly showed how the speed of light was constant no matter how the observer moves.

2. What gave the beginning of your writing experience?

Beginning: I sort of answered this in an older posts, and it’s the title of this blog. I write for Torre. First, I began to realize very few authors write the kind of stories I enjoy reading the most. Second, I wanted to improve my communication and software writing skills.

Sixteen years ago, Draco Torre (backward in Western world; Torre is her given name) came into my life filling the void of stories I had been searching for. Torre took me on so many adventures, I realized I needed to write it all down before I lost them. I haven’t published any of Torre’s stories yet, as I have been working on improving my skills. In 2006, I wrote Raven Memory in my spare time, and rewrote it several times until 2010.

In 2009, I started participating with Friday Flash to learn the secret to concise writing. I think it was then I realized I was taking writing fiction seriously.

Writing also helps release the monsters from my head.

3. How do you engage on a story? Do you outline or are you more of a discovery writer.

Engagement: When I read or write, I must live in the story. I am there with the characters. Before I write, I travel along with the character, which may take weeks or months to the point I know every detail.  I stick with them until I identify a story worth sharing. Only then can I write, and I generally write stories out of sequence. Since I know it so well, I can jump around and write the sections that fit my mood at the time. I get to know the characters beyond their stories as well, because I’ve lived with them. Torre, Steve Reynolds, Julie Walsh, and Kandy are my friends. I take rough notes instead of an outline.

I’ve only written outlines once, and that was for Kandy Fangs: Venom. Since I allow readers to choose their own paths through the non-linear story, I wrote three outlines with extensive notes to make sure that my telling of each story path remains consistent.

4. In what genre/s do you write and why?

I primarily write software. For fiction, I almost exclusively write within Draco Torre’s world which includes Kandy Fangs, Raven Memory, and my Draco Torre series. I rarely think about genre when reading or writing. As a whole, my Draco Torre stories could be considered cross-genre, fantasy with some science fiction and a dash of dark western . Kandy Fangs is the easiest to label, which I call urban fantasy. Kandy includes time travel, but the story stays out of the science.

5. What’s the one line you’re really proud of?

I don’t take pride in any one line. Lines work together. I’ll pick one sentence that tickles me, and pick it mostly because it’s from the only poem I’ve ever shared in my adult life.

“We dance, entangled, pouring shadows on our pain.”

From my poem, “Pendant for Kisses.”

6. You get to bring to life one character for 24 hours. Which one is that and why?

I already live with Kandy and Torre. Why? Because they challenge me and take me to amazing places.

7. Do you regret reading a book?

No. There’s something to learn from every book, even the poorly written ones. Some fiction shows us what to avoid and why.

Reading is learning.

8. Pick a childhood favorite book.

The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary for its exciting, imaginative story. And the author is from my home town.

9. How many books do you plan to read in 2014?

I make no reading plans. Most of the books I read are on physics, software, or science history. I read them as necessary for research or interest. I read fiction fast, consuming a novel in three or fewer sittings. I’ll pick a novel whenever I find available time to read it all in a day or two.

10. You have been given a one-way rocket offering to any fictional destination. Which one would you choose?

Already made the trip to Draco Torre’s world, and I may never return.

Three blogs with great content

Keeping with rule breaking, I pose no questions or reveal rules. Continuing to create, share, and inspire others is perfect. Cindy’s questions are good, so these bloggers may choose to answer the same ten if they wish.

Icy’s Blunt Pencil by Icy Sedgwick. She writes fantastic Friday Flash, posting every week, which includes some of her wonderful “Underground City” stories. You’ll also find pics of her pretty jewelry creations. Icy has a new novella coming soon called, The Necromancer’s Apprentice (Dark Continents Publishing). Look for it!

The Mockingbird Sings by Mark Kerstetter. Mark writes brilliant, thoughtful poems.  Back in 2009, he encouraged me (comment link) to try poetry. After some busy years at work, I finally wrote a poem in late 2013, “Pendant for Kisses.” Someday, I may write more.

Melissa D Johnston, a former Friday Flash regular, creates and writes about great art. Some of her visual poetry is quite inspiring. She’s an editor and contributor at Creative Thresholds.